System and method for a center fed reflector feed for a parabolic antenna
AssigneeBWA Technology, Inc.
InventorJay McCandless
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for a center fed reflector feed for a parabolic antenna where the feed is configured to include an output portion that is curved in two directions to thereby enhance the E and H plane patterns of the signal directed rearwardly towards a parabolic reflector.
Claims28
An antenna waveguide feed for a parabolic reflector comprising an input and an output portion,
- said input portion of the waveguide being tapered in the direction of signal travel from a maximum cross-sectional area to about one half of the maximum cross-sectional area to thereby reduce interference of the signal directed to and reflected from the reflector, and then gradually increasing in cross-sectional area to said maximum cross-sectional area to thereby improve the impedance match between said input and output portions;
- and
- said output portion joining said input portion and directing the received signal to the parabolic reflector, said output portion including a plurality of generally U-shaped channels each having a choke intermediate the length thereof to thereby generate an enhanced radiation pattern and a tongue at the free end thereof to thereby improve the impedance match between the output section and free space.
A method of feeding a parabolic reflector comprising the steps of:
- (a) receiving a signal in a first waveguide having a gradually reducing cross-sectional area for reducing interference of the signal directed to and reflected from the parabolic reflector;
- (b) passing the received signal through a second waveguide having a gradually increasing cross-sectional area for effectively matching the impedance between said second waveguide and a plurality of feeds;
- (c) splitting the passed signal into a plurality of feeds;
- (d) directing the split signal from the feeds onto a parabolic reflector past a choke configured to assist in generating an enhanced radiation pattern and a tongue configured so that the impedance of the feed effectively matches the impedance of free space.
In a method of reducing interference in the feeding of a parabolic reflector in which a signal is received by a waveguide, split into a plurality of feeds and directed from said plurality of feeds onto the parabolic reflector, the improvement wherein the signal is received in a waveguide having a gradually reducing cross-sectional area.
In a method of matching impedance between an input portion and an output portion within an antenna waveguide in which a signal is received by an input portion, split into a plurality of output portions and directed from each of said plurality of output portions onto the parabolic reflector, the improvement wherein the signal is received in an input portion having a gradually increasing cross-sectional area prior to said plurality of output portions.
In a method of matching impedance between free space and an output portion of a waveguide in which a signal is received by an input portion, split into a plurality of output portions and directed from each of said plurality of output portions onto the parabolic reflector, improvement wherein the signal is directed towards the parabolic reflector through output portions that include a tongue.
In a method for generating an enhanced radiation pattern from an antenna waveguide in which a signal is received by an input portion, split into two output portions and directed from each of said outputs onto the parabolic reflector, the improvement wherein the signal is directed towards the parabolic reflector through output portions that include a choke.
In an antenna waveguide feed for a parabolic reflector comprising an input portion for receiving a signal and an output portion for directing the received signal to a parabolic reflector, said output portion having a plurality of generally U-shaped channels, the improvement wherein the input portion is reduced in cross-sectional area in the direction of the signal path to thereby reduce interference to the signal directed to and reflected from said parabolic reflector.
In an antenna waveguide feed for a parabolic reflector comprising an input portion for receiving a signal and an output portion for directing the received signal to a parabolic reflector, said output portion having a plurality of generally U-shaped channels, the improvement wherein the cross-sectional area of said input portion is gradually increased prior to joining said output portion to thereby effectively match the impedance between said input and output portions.
In an antenna waveguide feed for a parabolic reflector comprising an input portion for receiving a signal and an output portion for directing the received signal to a parabolic reflector, said output portion having a plurality of generally U-shaped channels, the improvement wherein each of said generally U-shaped channels includes a tongue to thereby effectively match the impedance between said generally U-shaped channels and free space.
In an antenna waveguide feed for a parabolic reflector comprising an input portion for receiving a signal and an output portion for directing the received signal to a parabolic reflector, said output portion having a plurality of generally U-shaped channels, the improvement wherein each of said generally U-shaped channels includes a choke to thereby generate an enhanced radiation pattern.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.